Homemade Granola with Coconut & Apricots

Growing up in my parents house, the smell of cinnamon meant there was a fresh batch of granola in the oven. For as long as I can remember my mom always had home made granola in the cupboard for us kids to take and enjoy as we pleased. In the morning we ate it with her home made yogurt, during the day we took it in containers to eat as a dry snack at the playground or at school, sometimes it was even lunch with almond milk and wild blueberries, and to this day I still feel comforted by a bowl of granola before bed, with a cup of chamomile tea, to wind down after a busy day.

My mom inspired my passion for food and wellness, so it only seems natural that my first post here be a recipe inspired by hers. I used her technique and rough measurements to create this recipe to suit my own family. Lots of coconut for my husband, dried apricots for my twin toddlers Arlo and Mia, and the walnuts are completely for myself (you will quickly learn how much I love walnuts if you continue to follow my posts). The oats, cinnamon, seeds and nuts are all my mom. I can't say enough about her creativity in the kitchen and how much it influenced my life, that story is for another post on another day. I guess what I am trying to get across here is that sometimes a recipe is so much more than combinations of ingredients in a bowl. It can be a beautiful memory, the warm feeling of love from someone close, all triggered by the taste and smell of something created to share with you. How wonderful is that.

Tips for making my home made granola. 

This is not a recipe you can just pop in the oven and leave, though it is not overly time consuming you do need to be close by the oven to stir every 10 minutes, and keep an eye out to be sure the edges are not burning.

It's helpful to lightly grease the baking dish before lining it with parchment paper, this keeps it in place making stirring the mixture, while hot, less of a hassle.

Though this recipe calls for a combination of maple syrup and honey, you can absolutely use one or the other. I like the two together but it is not crucial to the outcome of the granola texture, it will just be a slightly different taste.

Be sure to avoid adding the coconut and apricots to the granola mixture until the last 10-15 minutes in the oven, otherwise you will have some very tough and chewy bits!

Most importantly, let the finished granola cool down completely, stirring once or twice, before putting the mixture into a jar or container, otherwise the moisture will cause the granola to be less crunchy and more soggy, nobody likes soggy granola, am I right? This is also prime time to add some mini white chocolate chips!

Now, let's get baking!

Home Made Granola with Coconut and Apricots

Ingredients 

• 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup whole cashews
• 1/2 cup pepita seeds
• 3 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup dried apricot, chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/4 cup mini white chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F 
2. Line baking dish with parchment paper
3. In a large bowl stir together oats, nuts, seeds & cinnamon and lay aside
4. In a sauce pan, melt butter over low heat, then add maple syrup and honey, warming until they are fully combined. Add to the oat mixture and toss until it is coated in the melted mixture.
5. Transfer to lined baking dish and place in the preheated oven stirring every 10 minutes 
6. After 30 minutes remove from oven and stir in the apricots and coconut. Bake an additional 15 minutes, then remove from heat to let cool. It helps to toss the mixture once or twice while cooling to prevent the granola from clumping together.
7. Once fully cooled you can add the mini chips, if desired, and transfer to jars. 

For more inspiration be sure to check out my Instagram page grace.and.jack !